Panetta Leak Creates Snag For Obama Transition
In another hitch to the Obama transition following Bill Richardson's withdrawal from the Commerce Secretary post, word leaked today that Bill Clinton's former chief of staff Leon Ponetta has been tapped as CIA director.
CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder reports that the Obama team had planned to announce the selection later this week, but someone close to Panetta revealed he had been picked for the job before Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the new chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was told.
Feinstein wasn't happy about the timing and expressed her exasperation publicly.
“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director. I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read,” she said. "My position has consistently been that I believe the Agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."
Feinstein affirmed to CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer that she had felt blindsided by the announcement.
"She had no hint it was coming, and she thought the office deserved a professional intelligence person," Schieffer said. "She told me she's not saying she won't vote against him, but it will be an uphill battle now to get him confirmed."
Watch Schieffer's appperance on the "CBS Evening News" below:
A former senior CIA official who now advises Obama defended the choice of Panetta, who lacks direct intelligence experience beyond a short stint during the 1960s as a U.S. Army lieutenant, The Associated Press reports. The official pointed to Panetta's knowledge of CIA intelligence, which he got a taste of as White House chief of staff.
A friend of both Feinstein and Panetta told Ambinder that they like each other and have worked well together in the past.
According to Schieffer, CIA Director was not Panetta's first choice of jobs in the Obama administration.
"He's been telling his friends the job he wanted was the one Richardson has just gotten out of, Secretary of Commerce," Schieffer said.
CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder reports that the Obama team had planned to announce the selection later this week, but someone close to Panetta revealed he had been picked for the job before Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the new chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was told.
Feinstein wasn't happy about the timing and expressed her exasperation publicly.
“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director. I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read,” she said. "My position has consistently been that I believe the Agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."
Feinstein affirmed to CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer that she had felt blindsided by the announcement.
"She had no hint it was coming, and she thought the office deserved a professional intelligence person," Schieffer said. "She told me she's not saying she won't vote against him, but it will be an uphill battle now to get him confirmed."
Watch Schieffer's appperance on the "CBS Evening News" below:
A former senior CIA official who now advises Obama defended the choice of Panetta, who lacks direct intelligence experience beyond a short stint during the 1960s as a U.S. Army lieutenant, The Associated Press reports. The official pointed to Panetta's knowledge of CIA intelligence, which he got a taste of as White House chief of staff.
A friend of both Feinstein and Panetta told Ambinder that they like each other and have worked well together in the past.
According to Schieffer, CIA Director was not Panetta's first choice of jobs in the Obama administration.
"He's been telling his friends the job he wanted was the one Richardson has just gotten out of, Secretary of Commerce," Schieffer said.
Posted by peace4321 at 09:22 AM : Jan 06, 2009
Yeah--you have a point--but then the other guy went and picked a stupid, airhead loser like Palin--so we KNOW his judgment svcks even worse than Obama. So do we get the guy who puts political picks and unknowns in office or the guy who would have filled the posts with Palinesque idiots? People who thought they had experience, because they could see Russia from their kitchen window....LMAO
Here''s some advice:
1. Don''t copy Bush''s check rebates--abysmal failure
2. Don''t pick unqualified, untried people for sensitive posts like FEMA or the CIA
3. Stay out of state politics, even if you used to represent that state--and never weigh in on ignoring State''s rights or obligations or punishing anyone before they are proven guilty IN COURT
4. Nix the 700 mil embassy and stop the slow bleed of 10 billion per month to Iraq
5. Put rules with teeth in them for those getting wall street welfare--starting with all bonuses to be paid back in full.
Otherwise--you won''t even be like Carter--you will be like a Bush-Carter combo-- only, Barter.
(which is what the US may end up doing in lieu of an economy)